Cabinet drawer



Dec. 11,1923. 1,477,278

. J. B. OCONNOR CABINET DRAWER Filed Dec. 17. 1921 Patented Dec. 11,1923.

v i a Sr JOHN B. OCONNOR, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS,

TUBING- COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A

Lit-"Lit CABINET DEAXVER.

- App1ieation filed December 17, 1921. Serial No. 522,994.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', JOHN B. OCoNNoR. a citizen of the United States,residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois. haveinvented a certain new and useful. Improvement in Cabinet Drawers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to drawers for cabinets and the like, and one ofthe objects'oi' the invention is to provide a simple and convenientretainer for holding down the forward edges of blueprints, drawings orother objects that may be contained within the drawer. Among other usesitmay be mentioned that it is common practice in drafting rooms andelsewhere to keep blueprints and drawings in shallow drawers mounted incabinets made for the purpose. It fre quently happens in such cases thatthe forward edges of the sheets curl up and jamb when the drawer isbeing opened. One of my objects is to provide a retainer which willprevent this and hold the sheets in such shape that the drawer may bereadily closed or opened and the drawings held neatly, and securely inplace. Drawings, blueprints and the like are, of course, of varioussizes and dividers are frequently used for subdividing the drawers. Theobject of my invention is to provide a retainer so constructed as topermit of the use of such dividers. I A

I attain my objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying.figures in which Figure 1 is a perspective assembly view showing adrawer embodying my improvements in position in a cabinet.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of parts shown in Figure l, the plane ofsection extending in a direction from front to rear of the cabinet.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the label holder showing the same inattached position.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail taken on the line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a divider.

Like numerals denote out the several views.

In the form illustrated, the cabinet l'has horizontal guides 2 forsupporting and guiding the drawers 3. Dividers 4 may be fastened withinthe drawers at various like parts throughpoints as needs may'require.pose the bottom, of the drawer is spacepunched, as illustrated. In theform shown, see especially Figure 5, each divider has a base '5 whichmay be bolted to the bottom of the drawer, and atongue7 adapted toproject thru suitable slots in the dI'fiWQi front. The design of these.parts may be considerably varied without-departing from the spirit'ofthe invention.

Hinged to the front of thedrawer is a guard or retainer 6 adapted whenin acting position to overlie the front end of blue prints, tracings,drawings and like articles to hold them down and prevent any possibility of their curling up or becoming For this purjammed when thedrawer isoperated. The

retainer is notched or otherwise so formed as to avoid interference withthe dividers no matter where the latter are placed.

In the drawings I have shown a particularly simple and tainer whichconsists of a single piece of wire having a series o-f'reverse bends ofsuch number and shape that the retainer as a whole resembles a striparranged length-' wise ofthe drawer and of a few inches in width. In thepresent bends have parallel sides so that the retainer may be 'said' toj consist of a plurality of U-shaped bends arranged alternately, some ofthe bends being open towards the backand others towards the front. Theretainer is hinged to the frontof the drawer by, means of eyelets 8 orother appropriate devices. Thus the retainer may be swung down to actingposition shown in Figures advantageous form of re-' case these reverse pl and 2 or may be swung up to vertical position, fornon-interferencewith the contents of the drawer when the latter arebeing removed. When swung down, the retainerwill straddle the dividers,regardless of their number or the positions to which they are adjusted.

Referring now to the label holders, these are designed especially forthe type of rethe cabinet The guides 2 previously mentioned are formedof sheet metal and have upstruck lugs 16 projecting inward, as bestshown in Figures 2 and 4. An arm 18 is pivoted to each side of thedrawer upon pins 19 in such manner as to swing in a vertical plane. Thebottom of the drawer has slots '20 through which the lower end of thearm may project. By preference these slots are not located immediatelyadjacent to' the sides of the drawer, but at a slight distancetherefrom, as best shown in Figure l. A shoulder 21 is formed in thearms, which shoulder is adapted to strike the bottom of the drawer andlimit the downward and backward movement of the arm. The resultis thatwhen the arm is down in acting position, it cannot be swung anyfurtherbackward, but can be readily swung forward and upward to dottedline position shown in Figure 2. When the arm is down in acting positionshown in full lines in the drawing, the lower projecting end will engagethe stops 16 in time to prevent the drawer from being pulled too farout. I If it is desired to actually remove the drawer from' the cabinet,all that is necessary is for the operator to reach into the drawer,swing the arm 18 from acting position shown in full lines, Figure 2, tonon acting position, shown in dotted lines, Figure drawer may be takenout.

It will be evident that the device herein- 2, after which the abovedescribed renders the cabinet convenient and efficient at a very smallcost above that which would be entailed if these improvements would beomitted.

As to the stop arm 18, it would operate to a certain degree if itsdownward movement were limited simply by engagement with the rear end.of the slot 20; but constant shock due tosuccessive and vigorous pullson the drawer'would tend to tear or disrupt the metal of which thebottom of the drawer is formed. According to the preferred form of theinvention illustrated in the drawings, the shoulder 21 of the armcontacts a considerable area of the bottom of the drawerand thusdistributes the strain and prevents any appreciable degree of wear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand ters Patentis: w

1. The combination with a drawer for cabinets and the like of a retainerhinged to the front, of the drawer so as to swing about a horizontalaxis and to'permit'the free edge tobe lowered on to the drawer desire tosecure by Letcontents, said retainer having slots for accommodatingdividers mounted in the drawer.

2. In a cabinet, the combination with the main framework of a drawerslidingly mounted therein, a retainer consisting of a wire having aseries. of reverse bends adapted to form slots for accommodatingdividers, said bends lying in acommon plane and having the general formof an elongated rectangle, portions of the wire running parallel to thedrawer front, and means adapted to pivotally connect said portions tothe drawer front.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. v JOHN B.OCONNOR.

